


finding a lark in the park

by wubling



Series: Camp Sanders AU [5]
Category: Sanders Sides, Thomas Sanders - RPF
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Arguments, Bird Watching, Camping, Catching a cold, Children, Crushes, Domestic, Drama, Falling In Love, Fighting, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Human AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Pining, Summer Camp AU, Watching Movies, arts and crafts, getting sick, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-22
Updated: 2018-01-22
Packaged: 2019-03-08 05:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13451514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wubling/pseuds/wubling
Summary: Logan wants to attempt to make up with Roman. It's a good thing he has a bird watching guide and a habit of collecting favors. Meanwhile, Virgil decides that admitting he's sick isn't worth the trouble.





	finding a lark in the park

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait! This part eluded me for so long but here it is so it's okay
> 
> I'm pretty sure the next part will be the last but until then, read this and hopefully enjoy it! I'll talk more at the end! Hope it's worth the wait!

"How long does it usually take him?"

  
"About this long. Don't worry, we have plenty of time."

  
Patton shifted nervously in the passenger seat. "I hope he's getting enough sleep either way..."

  
Logan sighed. "He rarely does, I'm afraid. It's in his nature." He eyed the house carefully, hoping Virgil wasn't planning on using a back or side door that he couldn't see.

  
"But that's not healthy! When he gets out here, I'm gonna scold him so hard!"

  
"Let's focus on our first task," Logan requested, despite his small and amused chuckle. "We should go over the plan one more time."

  
Patton playfully rolled his eyes. "Again? Surely you've memorized every word by now!"

  
"Humor me."

  
"Alright, alright..." Patton cleared his throat. "First, we'll get regular camp activities out of the way. Then, once most of the kids are home, you'll ask Roman to go with you on a walk."

  
Logan continued from there. "I will apologize and explain that he...means a lot to me. I just- Lord, I wish this could just be an understood thing."

  
"I think we all do, Lo, but we gotta communicate!"

  
"Yes, right. So I'll say... _that_...and then sneak him back to the cabin where you'll be waiting with the celebratory treats."

  
Patton clapped a couple times, clearly restless already. "Everyone should know they're appreciated! I just hope a party gets the message across! Well, I suppose it'll just be the four of us with him, but-"

  
"Three." Patton tilted his head in confusion. Logan, baffled, added, "Erm...you said there were four of us with Roman subtracted. That's not right."

  
"Oh! Right, I might've...agreed to watch Thomas again! Will that be an issue...?"

  
Logan heaved out a sigh. "I suppose not. He's...certainly not the worst child to have around," he muttered.

  
Patton put his hand on Logan's shoulder. Over the short time they'd known each other, Patton learned to get used to the way Logan tensed up at the slightest touch. He's asked in the past if Logan doesn't like physical contact, but he was assured that it was alright, so he kept this small routine in mind.

  
"Logan. Sweetie. Honey. Friendo. Look at me." Logan turned towards Patton with a nervous frown. "Eyes up here, bud. It'll work out, alright? I'll keep an eye on the lil' guy just in case, but to be honest, I think he'll be a good luck charm if anything! It's so hard to be sad when you're around him, you know?"

  
"I suppose you're right." As soon as Patton was done with his mini speech, Logan jerked his head away again. "...He's coming out," he said quietly. He unlocked the back doors and watched as Virgil climbed in.

  
The youngest counselor's hair was still disheveled and his clothes were wrinkled and a bit stained. Logan could tell he'd just grabbed from whatever pile was on his bedroom floor. He looked very tired and seemed out of breath.

  
"Big rush?" Patton teasingly asked.

  
Virgil shrugged. "Mhm...hey, Logan? C-Could you...text Aunt Julie for me? When you're not driving, I mean."

  
Logan was silent for a minute as he pulled out of the driveway. Once they were on the road, he asked, "You're out again?"

  
"Yeah, I'm gonna need some extra help...I thought maybe she'd have some cash. Or, at the very least, an extra job for me to do."

  
Patton tilted his head. "But you're already so busy with us!"

  
"Doesn't pay though, so...I mean, if I have to, I'll work, that's all." Virgil let out a shaky breath before adding, "Not like camp'll go on for much longer."

  
"What's so urgently needed that you'd have to exhaust yourself?"

  
Virgil curled up on himself. "I-It doesn't matter."

  
Patton pouted. "But there's no reason to-"

  
"Patton," Logan said sternly. "Drop it, alright? Thank you for trying to help, but Virgil and I can sort it out."

  
"...Oh." Patton rubbed his arm, a bit embarrassed. He supposed he didn't really know what it was he was trying to help with. Why would he be able to give advice?

  
He suddenly felt like being in the car with them was an invasion of privacy.

 

* * *

 

 "Goooood morning Camp Sanders campers! Ready for another thrilling day?"

  
The daily dose of cheering children made the counselors perk up from their chairs; all except Patton of course, who was in an excitable state to begin with, having calmed himself down after the awkward car trip. He had a new activity for the campers that day: beach volleyball! He'd ordered a net online the first day of camp and was thrilled to know it had finally arrived. He explained this to everyone in great detail, getting all the children pumped up and getting Roman to look a tad jealous at the attention.

  
"So Logan! What'll you be up to today?" Patton urged.

  
Logan couldn't fight back a grin. "I suppose my activity is also new, though perhaps not nearly as exciting." He reached into the backpack he brought from the trunk of his car and pulled out a large textbook-sized journal. Many printer pages were stapled inside, along with sticky notes and bookmarks and from where the counselors sat, they could see small sketches from the bits of paper poking out the sides. "I've decided to bring my personal bird watching book and see if we can find any interesting specimens. I trust most of you have brought binoculars as requested the other day?" The majority of the children either nodded or held up their pair. "Excellent! I'm rather pleased to show you all some of the species that come around this time of year. It's really quite fascinating how-"

  
Patton gave Logan a light pat to the shoulder, silencing him immediately. "Lo, let's let Roman and Virgil explain their plans and you can talk to the campers more at your station, alright?"

  
Logan blushed, clutching his book to his chest. "A-Ah, of course." He turned to the other two counselors. "Apologies. Go ahead," he mumbled.

  
At this, Roman's sour look immediately vanished. "Thank you!" he exclaimed with a hint of exasperation. "Today's arts and crafts projects will be origami focused! Think of an animal you'd like to make with paper and I will do my best to teach you how to fold your way to a new companion!"

  
There was a bit of an awkward pause. Patton cleared his throat, looking pointedly at Virgil, who was staring blankly at his fingers. His pale hands shook a bit. "Virgil? V-dog? Kiddo?"

  
Logan frowned. "Virgil."

  
Roman reached out, patting his back. "Earth to Virge?"

  
Virgil's head finally snapped up. "Wh-What? Oh, sorry." He coughed a few times before continuing. "Um. Yeah. Movie. In here. Popcorn. Uh...normal day for Virgil's station. Yup." With that, he quickly hurried to the kitchen.

  
As Patton and Logan tried to hide their concern in favor of getting camp activities prepared, Roman looked towards the direction Virgil ran in. His eyebrows furrowed. He almost jumped when Patton came up beside him, looking towards the kitchen with a paternal sort of worry.

  
"He's a bit out of sorts today," he whispered. "If you want, I can watch both of our groups for a couple minutes."

  
"Would you really? That...That would be too kind!"

  
"'Too kind' is my middle name." Patton winked and strutted away. He took a moment before leading a crowd of shrieking children to look back over his shoulder. "Let him know I'll be checking on him later in the day, would you?"

  
Roman nodded as the cabin door shut. He herded the children to the television set. It took a minute to find Virgil's DVD, but sat under the hoodie on his dresser-chair was the cracked case of a popular Dreamworks flick. Roman happily popped it in just to get the children to hush up. Then he grabbed Virgil's hoodie and jogged over to the kitchen.

 

* * *

 

Trying to teach a single group of elementary school kids how to fold origami is one thing. Patton was sure it would've been easier if it _was_ just one group instead of two. Or if he knew how origami worked. He thanked his lucky stars that some of the older campers knew some simple techniques.

  
As he tried desperately to fold a dog according to the instruction booklet in front of him, Patton listened patiently to Thomas as the little boy talked about school supply shopping and how much he missed his friends and all of the fun playground games he'd get to play once the summer was done. Patton tried his best to show interest, but he was preoccupied. Thomas didn't seem to notice.

  
"So by the time I'll be in the lunchroom line, Talyn and Joan will be there waiting for me! That's what usually happens." Thomas paused his rambling for a moment. Patton turned to him briefly, quickly noticing a certain sadness about him. "Patton, camp's almost over, isn't it?"

  
Patton sighed. He put the half folded animal down. "Well...yeah, I guess!" he began, trying to sound happy-go-lucky about it. "This is a week long camp after all. We'll be sure to go out with a bang! I think Roman had something exciting planned!"

  
Thomas nodded. "Yeah, but...Will I see you guys again?"

  
"You'll see most of the people here probably! Don't they go to the same school as-"

  
"No, _you_ guys. You and Ro and Lo and Virge. It'll be sad not seeing you."

  
Patton found it hard to find the right words for a minute or two. Admittedly, he was pretty sad too. This camp had been so wonderful to him and the others. He never would have known the others if it weren't for the camp and though the four of them only knew each other for a short time, Patton could feel in his heart that they could be lifelong friends. He wanted - no, _needed_ \- to believe they'd stay close. Meeting someone with his energy, witnessing someone shy come out of their shell, finding someone who very well could be the man of his...

  
He suddenly smiled fondly. Patton was certain there'd be plenty of memories here at the very least.  
"Thomas...if you and I and the other counselors are meant to stay friends, we will. The universe always seems to find a way. And besides..." Patton playfully poked Thomas's chest, right over his heart. "...we'll always be in here as long as you never forget us! And you'll always be here..." He pointed to his own heart. "...as long as I never forget you!"

  
Thomas stayed silent for a few seconds. His hand hovered over his chest and he looked contemplative. Then he cracked a smile and looked over to Patton's origami dog. "Ah! Patty, it's so cute!"

  
"Oh, Thomas, it's not even done ye-"

  
Thomas snatched the unfinished project and hugged it. Patton began to giggle uncontrollably at the incomplete and now crumpled paper. As long as Thomas was happy, he supposed.

  
"If only Roman could come out sooner! Now kiddos, if you wanna see a guy that can _really_ fold, he's certainly the one to go to!"

 

* * *

 

"You _never_ take your hoodie off."

  
Sat on the counter of the cabin kitchen, Virgil gave Roman a nervous glance before avoiding eye contact. He hugged himself tightly and shivered, sniffling a bit. The green Camp Sanders themed t-shirt he wore looked strange on him, considering how used to his hoodie everyone had become.

  
"It was too warm," Virgil claimed.

  
"Well you're cold _now_. Put it back on."

  
Virgil sighed, snatching the jacket and slipping it on. He could see the slight relief on Roman's face as he did. "Dummy," he teased, smirking ever so slightly.

  
"If anyone here is a dummy, it's not me," Roman countered. "Anywho, I hate to make assumptions, but you don't seem well. Did I get you sick yesterday? Do you need help?" He began to head for the cabinets. "Should I make you something? Surely we have-"

  
Virgil bit his lower lip and said, "I-I'm not sick. N-Not much, anyhow. I promise it's nothing, I can handle it!"

  
Roman frowned. He opened his mouth to speak and was interrupted by a few hard sneezes from his...boyfriend? That's what they were now, right? Roman liked to think that at least. He didn't tend to kiss just anyone after all and neither did Virgil. He wished they could've made some sort of proper confession to each other instead of a spontaneous peck on the lips but...Well, this wasn't really the time to worry about all that.

  
"Roman, really. Don't you trust me?"

  
Roman sighed. He reached over to give Virgil a few affectionate hair ruffles. "I do. Can't help but worry though," he mumbled. "Well...I suppose I do need to get back to my own kids. Please let someone know if you truly aren't feeling well, alright Virge?"

  
Virgil made a point of doing a crossing motion against his chest with his finger. Roman gave him a grin that he was sure could light up a whole city. Then, with a quick kiss to Virgil's cheek, Roman sauntered out of the kitchen and off to the arts and crafts tables outside.

  
With one last longing look and a loud sneeze, Virgil then began to wonder how he could make food without getting his campers sick.

 

* * *

 

The end of the day eventually arrived. All of the campers (except for Thomas of course) were on their way home. Logan had been watching them leave outside, but had since moved into the cabin. His arms were tightly wrapped around his bird watching journal for comfort of some sort. Though Logan was loath to admit it, he was unbearably nervous to find out if he and Patton's plan would actually work.

  
Patton, of course, was in the cabin as well, along with Thomas and Virgil. Roman was still cleaning up his activity station, so Logan was simply waiting for him to come in. While handing out ice pops to Thomas and Virgil, Patton approached Logan with an encouraging grin. He held out a blue ice pop.

  
"Want one?"

  
Logan pursed his lips. "I'd rather not, thank you," he mumbled.  
Patton nodded, tossing it back to the other two, who proceeded to dive for it. He wrapped his arm around Logan's shoulders.

"Logan, take a few deep breaths with me, alright?" He continued to insist, so Logan did as he was told. After his muscles stopped tensing up so harshly, Patton continued. "You're going to do amazing. Trust me, honey."

  
Logan smiled back a little. "I'm just...not good at this. I've never been good at this."

  
Patton only repeated, "You're going to do amazing," before heading back towards the boys behind them. He quickly began helping Virgil with a coughing fit and with Thomas so focused on his second ice pop, Logan suddenly felt alone again. Patton's words helped, but he couldn't quite shake it.

  
Roman arrived just as Logan was beginning to wonder if he should back out. Seeing Logan standing by the door made Roman immediately suspicious. He gave a hard stare as the other counselor began to speak.

  
"Roman, you...have good eyesight, correct?"

  
"...I suppose?"

  
"It would make sense logically, since you and Virgil are the two that don't wear glasses and since Virgil is busy at the moment..." Roman peeked around Logan to check. Virgil gave Roman a thumbs up and a weak smile, the latter of which he returned. "...I'd like you to come with me on a walk. To find a bird."

  
Roman crossed his arms. "A bird," he repeated. Logan nodded. "Forgive me, but I don't particularly trust you to take me anywhere, so-"

  
"But!" Logan held out a hand to stop him. Roman suddenly noticed how desperate Logan was and felt a pang of sympathy.

"Forgive me for attempting to force you, but...the other day, we agreed that due to you not keeping my secret, you owed me a favor! I would like to cash that in!"

  
Roman paused to study Logan's face. Though he was far more distressed and ragged than usual, Logan still had a base expression that was a tad difficult to read. Roman tried very hard to determine his intentions, but saw little more than what was on the surface level. In an act of resignation, Roman nodded.  
"A deal is a deal. I'll go find your bird with you."

  
As he watched Roman and Logan leave, Thomas excitedly turned toward Virgil and Patton. Virgil seemed relieved by the exchange. Patton, on the other hand, was absolutely beaming as he pulled a plastic tub of decorations from underneath a table.

  
Virgil's eyes widened. "Patton, where did you get all these friggin' decorations from?"

  
"You _always_ gotta have decorations ready! Everybody knows that!"

  
Virgil giggled, making him cough again, though a bit less violently. If anything it made him laugh more to hear how silly he sounded. He immediately began helping Patton dig through the tub to find something suitable.

  
Thomas hopped over, bouncing up and down. "What can I do? What can I do?" he shrieked.

  
Patton quickly handed him some paper and multi-colored pens. "Here kiddo, why don't you make a card for Roman? Have it say something about us appreciating his hard work! And be sure to draw plenty of smiley faces!"

  
"Maybe some horses too, if you know how," Virgil added shyly. "I think he's mentioned liking horses."

  
"Well duh!" Thomas said. "He likes prince characters! He told me at arts and crafts one day. He loves quests and stuff."

  
Virgil chuckled. "Sounds about right."

  
"He's certainly your knight in shining-"

  
"Patton!" Virgil elbowed his co-counselor in the side. "Quit teasing! Besides, we have streamers to put up or whatever."

  
"Oh, right! We'd better hurry! Who knows how long they'll be out?"

 

* * *

 

"What is it with you tricking me into following you into the woods?" Roman's voice was loud enough to echo down the forest path they'd stopped on.

  
Logan groaned to himself. They'd gotten fairly far into the woods without him gaining the confidence to actually say what he wanted to. The frustration he felt towards himself was easy to project onto Roman, as much as he didn't want to. "I hardly tricked you in this instance. I asked you to come and you came," he countered.

  
"I thought we were looking for a bird! But now that I'm reading your notes, I find out the one I'm trying to find isn't even found in this country, much less this particular forest! What am I _actually_ here for?"

  
"I..." Logan gulped. "I needed to-"

  
"Are we up here so you can yell at me some more?"

  
"Roman, that's not-"

  
"Did you not get your fill of treating me like a child?"

  
Logan clenched his fists. "No! I'm sorry! I dragged you here so I could give you a blasted apology!" Roman was clearly taken aback by the answer, but didn't seem less frustrated or suspicious of it. "Look...you bring many things to the table. You're an excellent performer and you work so well with the children. You make Virgil smile in the blink of an eye and you find it so easy to make Patton laugh. I suppose I was annoyed, ridiculous as that is, at how capable you are at all those things...maybe even jealous...?"

  
Roman's expression softened. "Jealous? Of _me_? While I can see how others would be..." This earned a bit of a glare, but he continued. "...you certainly aren't the one that should feel jealous. You're the one that has himself together."

  
"But I _don't_. Have you _seen_ me? You said it yourself: I can't relate to anyone, especially not people my own age. I find it agonizingly difficult, but it's not something I can afford to make mistakes in."

  
"Why ever not?" Roman reached out and placed his hand on Logan's shoulder. "Everyone makes mistakes!"

  
"Mistakes in social situations - _my_ mistakes, anyway - consistently hurt people. It was bad enough when it was just you, as I truly do care for you, but I can never stand to see Virgil upset. I'd be willing to physically fight anyone that would hurt him if need be. But now _I'm_ the one hurting him." Logan quickly looked away, combing his fingers through his hair. "And Patton...Patton can't see _anyone_ hurting. Especially not you two. And it was all because of my lack of capability."

  
Roman grit his teeth. Logan tensed up, fearing another argument to begin, but instead Roman shook his head and said, "No! No, that's not remotely true! Logan, you are _not_ the only one at fault here! Do you think it somehow fair of me to have said such harsh things to you? To force you on a path of romance that you're not ready to take? We both were in the wrong, I believe. If you're able to look past my issues and focus on your own...then I should do the same." Both hands were on Logan's shoulders now. Roman hoped desperately that his next words would get across. "Logan, I accept your apology and I apologize right back. You do not deserve to feel the way you've been feeling. I recommend we put this behind us and return to the others so they don't have to worry any longer."

  
Logan hesitated. He wasn't even sure if he trusted himself to agree to this. He wasn't certain that he wouldn't just go back to insulting Roman, however unintentional it may be. Part of Logan felt it would be impossible to change himself. But he also reasoned that these feelings were illogical. If Roman was willing to try to move on, why shouldn't Logan? What was Logan good at if not learning new things?

  
Maybe this was just something that would take him awhile to learn. Maybe that was okay.

  
Logan slowly began to chuckle. He pried one of Roman's hands off of himself so he could shake it in a business-like manner. "I'd like that very much."

  
Roman giggled a bit. "Of course you'd come to an agreement like some lawyer. But that's perfectly fine! I accept you in all your stuffy ways."

  
"A bit back handed, but I appreciate the sentiment. Yes, I suppose we should start heading back. It's certainly been a long enough time."

  
Roman raised an eyebrow. "A long enough time for what?"

  
Logan laughed some more. "Ah. You'll see." He turned on his heel and began walking in the reverse direction, back towards the campsite. "In the meantime though, I suppose we should attempt some conversation," he thought aloud.

  
Roman crossed his arms, staring into the distance as he thought. "So..." he began. It was clear he was trying to tread carefully. "...you and Patton have been getting pretty chummy."

  
"Oh lord."

  
"No, no, I'm not trying anything this time!" Roman assured. "I just wanted to ask because...well, there's not much time left, is there?"

  
Now it was Logan's turn to look quizzical. "Time left for what?"

  
"To tell him how you feel, of course! I wouldn't mean for you to rush things, but our time at Camp Sanders is nearly at an end! It would be a shame to leave him without having him know your feelings, wouldn't it?"

  
"Roman, that's ridiculous. We'd...oh." Logan suddenly stopped in his tracks. He thought hard about it. The sudden realization that he might not see Patton after camp was over, that Patton might slip through his fingers...Logan supposed it had crossed his mind before but only now was the concept really hitting him. "Oh dear. I suppose I...huh." He placed a hand on his head like he was trying to steady it. "I'd...I don't know how I would feel if we separated while we're at this point. I mean...I've never felt this strongly before. Roman, I'm not even sure what Patton's plans for the future are. Would he even have time for me? Would we even _speak_ after this?"

  
"I imagine it's a lot of pressure. It's your decision entirely and I'd be glad to help you through any choice you make, but...do you want to wait any longer to tell Patton? Do you want to risk giving it more time before confessing?

  
"...I'm not sure."

 

* * *

 

 "Wow, Virge is sleepy, huh?"

  
Patton hummed a bit while checking over his shoulder. Virgil was laying on the couch like he had been for about twenty minutes, fast asleep and very lightly snoring. "Thomas, promise me you'll get lots of sleep when you're a big kid, alright?"

  
"Yes, Patty."

  
"And also let people know when you're sick because they care about you and want you to get better."

  
"Yes, Patty." Thomas peeked out the cabin window and excitedly pointed. "They're coming! Patty, they're coming!"

  
"Ahh! Do they look happy?" Patton asked as he quickly crowded the window with his camper.

  
"Yeah, I think they're smiling! Roman's laughing too!" Thomas clapped his hands. "They're friends again! Woo!"

  
Patton clapped too, letting the weight on his shoulders lift a bit. "Thank goodness! Now hurry up and hide! We wanna surprise Roman, right?"

  
Thomas had just managed to squeeze behind the television set when he heard Roman start to unlock the cabin door. As he and Logan stepped inside, Patton leaped out of the closet with an enormous smile. Thomas quickly followed suit.

  
"Surprise!" they yelled together.  
Roman froze up for a second in shock. His eyes quickly began to dart around, taking in all the birthday party-like banners and balloons. However, instead of celebrating a holiday, they had Sharpie written messages of encouragement. He was suddenly attacked with a giant hug from Thomas, a paper card being shoved into his face.

  
"I made you this! Read it, read it!"

  
Roman chuckled. "Goodness! Of course, give me a moment though!" He walked inside a bit further. Then, checking the front of the card, he realized what it was all actually for. "We appreciate you," he read from the top. Then, flipping it open, he saw a rather majestic depiction of him and the other counselors on a very long horse, seemingly running into battle. There were many smiley faces scribbled around them.

  
Fighting back tears, Roman found he could do little more than nod at the gift. "It's so pretty, Thomas...thank you so much!"

  
"The party was Patton's idea," Logan explained, suddenly speaking up. "He, Virgil, and Thomas all wanted to make sure it wasn't just me getting across that you mean something to us, so...Wait, where _is_ Virgil?"

  
Patton put his finger to his lips. He pointed to the couch. Virgil had shifted only slightly from the last time they'd checked and he was still out cold. "He's been sick all day apparently, so helping with decorations really tired him out. I made sure he took some medicine before he passed out though."

  
Logan smiled warmly at Patton. "Ah, good."

  
Roman tilted his head a bit. He couldn't help but be amused and annoyed at the same time, knowing that he had tried so hard to get Virgil to admit he was feeling bad earlier. "As long as he feels better..." Roman decided aloud. "...I don't think it matters if he actually participates in this little shindig, even if he helped throw it. Sleeping is a better use of his time right now." Patton nodded and hummed in agreement, prompting Roman to add, "By the way, those were good hiding spots! Patton, how did you manage to fit in there anyway?"

  
Patton giggled. "Oh, I've had plenty of experience being in the closet."

  
Logan nearly choked on his own spit. "Wh-?"

  
"Now, who wants ice pops?"

  
"Oh, me! Me, me, me!" Thomas whined.

  
"Me as well!" Roman exclaimed.

  
Still a bit shaken, Logan answered, "A, erm...purple one would be nice if there are any left."

  
"Coming right up, everyone!"

 

* * *

 

Virgil's eyes fluttered open and immediately darted around in search of the time. The clock on the wall was hard to read from his distance, but it was pretty late from what he could tell. He lifted his head a bit and looked around at the put away decorations and the leftover snacks laying around. Logan was picking up things in the other room while Patton was sat at the end of the couch, almost but not quite on top of Virgil's feet. He had a plastic cup of water in hand.

  
"Ah jeez, I missed the whole thing?" Virgil asked, a tad frustrated at his situation.

  
Patton gave his knee a pat, offering him the drink. "Yes, but Roman didn't want you to be bothered anyway. He said sleeping would be a better use of your time."

  
"I mean...I guess, but I'd much rather have been around...not that I like parties that much, but still..." Accepting Patton's water, Virgil swung his legs around so he sat upright. "Thomas and Roman already left then?"

  
"Yup! Logan's almost done cleaning up and once he finishes, we can all go."

  
Virgil grinned a bit at the thought of riding with Patton again. He silently hoped it would go better than their morning trip.  
The two sat in silence for a few minutes. Virgil was still too tired to really do anything, so he leaned against the back of the sofa and looked around absently. He sipped from the plastic cup periodically. Patton, on the other hand, was very focused. He spent a few minutes collecting his thoughts, choosing his words. He'd have hated to get this wrong.

  
"Virgil, I wanted to talk to you about earlier today."

  
"...Doesn't sound good. But go ahead."

  
Patton tried to ignore the way Virgil nervously rubbed his arm or bounced his right leg. "You were pretty darn sick all day and you didn't tell a soul? I hope you know how dangerous that can be!" Patton scolded.

  
Virgil rolled his eyes. "It's just a cold."

  
"But what if it wasn't? What if it got worse than you thought? What if it was, like, a cold, but it mutated so normal medicines couldn't help cure it?

  
"Logan's lessons are really gettin' to ya, Pat. I'm fine now, aren't I? You're not my dad. You don't have to worry about me."

  
Patton looked hurt at that. Virgil stood by it though, maintaining eye contact until a hard sneeze interrupted it. "Virgil..." Patton whispered. "You can't keep bottling up like this...Are you scared? Is that it? Are you not used to having other people-"

  
"It's not like that," Virgil assured. "I'm usually fairly open about my issues. If anything I hide good feelings, but even then, I've gotten better, at least around you and the other counselors." He pulled his knees to his chest, bending in to hide himself more. His next few coughs were muffled as a result "I'm just not used to being the sick one. I'm not used to not being the caretaker in these situations, I..." He cut himself off, dropping his empty cup to the floor. "Nevermind."

  
Patton reached out and grabbed Virgil's hand, holding it with the two of his own. "You don't have to explain...but I'm here in case you want to. Okay? I just...I might know what that's like. I'd love to help if I can."

  
He gave Virgil a few finishing pats on the back before getting up to leave, but as he got to the doorway, he was stopped by Virgil suddenly saying, "Wait." Patton turned and leaned on the wall patiently. Virgil took a deep breath before continuing. "It's...My mom is sick."

  
"Oh...Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that. What with?"

  
Virgil went silent and Patton realized that it wasn't a simple cold this time. "It's...I'd rather not get into it, but she's bedridden right now. Will be for awhile, doctors think. And I'm the only one at home, so if I can't take care of myself and I can't take care of her, then..."

  
"That's a lot of pressure to be put under. Is it alright if I sit back down?"

  
Virgil quickly nodded. As soon as Patton was seated, Virgil laid down, resting his head in Patton's lap and looking at the opposite wall. Patton slowly began to play with his tangled hair. It felt nice, almost natural, to sit like this, though they never had before. Virgil only ever did this with his aforementioned mother when he was a bit younger. It made him feel a pain in his chest, but it also relaxed him in some way, so he tried to focus on the latter.

  
"I don't usually tell people this, okay? Don't go blabbing."

  
Patton nodded. "My mouth is shut," he confirmed.

  
"Good. Okay." Virgil took one last deep breath. "So...I was arrested."

  
"I know that part."

  
"Yeah. I went to court and everything. Real expensive." He coughed a few more times and Patton patiently waited. "But before that, I just started taking care of my mom. This was last year I guess...must've been. I couldn't get any work and my mom obviously couldn't. I also couldn't swallow my dumb pride enough to ask family for help..." Virgil stole a glance at Logan at this point. Logan didn't notice any of the conversation happening, instead staying focused on sweeping the floor. "...so I couldn't afford much. I did what I could, but then...then my mom ran out of her meds. Going without 'em for a couple days wouldn't kill her, sure, but...God, I don't even know what it _would_ do to her. So I decided I'd get her those meds anyway."

  
"...I see where this is going, I think."

  
"Mhm. Broke into a pharmacy late one night. Would've gotten away if it hadn't been for some dude across the street hearing the glass break. The police station wasn't even that far away, so I was out of there within the hour."

  
Patton brought a hand to his mouth. "Oh, Virgil..."

  
"I-It's fine now!" Virgil insisted, blushing a bit. "I'm here, aren't I? The judge took pity on me or something and thought community service would be an acceptable enough punishment. It's not like I hurt anybody or even wanted to. So now I'm here."

  
Patton's eyes darted to the other room. "So then Logan...?"

  
"Ah...heard about it all from Uncle Benny - his dad, my mom's brother - and I guess he didn't want me to be alone."

  
Patton gave Virgil's head a few more pets. "Maybe he felt bad about skipping grades?" he suggested. "He told me about you two being close when you were little."

  
"Really? I, uh...never thought he'd ever feel guilty about that. Not like I resented him for it or anything." Virgil sighed, closing his eyes thoughtfully. "There's a lot I still don't know about him, I think. But he's my best friend and I'm so glad he came. I'd never have felt comfortable getting to know you if I was alone."

  
"You're not alone. You're _never_ alone." Patton grinned down at him with a strange look of pride. "Not anymore, right?"

  
Virgil laughed. "Right."

 

* * *

 

"I still can't believe he told you."

  
"I can't either, honestly! I'm so glad he did though. He really needed someone to open up to."

  
Logan let out a sigh as he peeked into the rear view mirror. He could see Virgil sprawled across the back seats, snoring loudly and drooling all over the backpack he was using as a pillow. His face still looked flushed, but it seemed like the cold might have been clearing up, which gave both co-counselors some relief.

  
"I knew about it though. I would have assumed opening up to me would be enough."

  
Patton shrugged. "Maybe with some things, but this is one big secret! I bet it hurt keeping that all in. I just hope he didn't think he was lying to Roman and I or anything."

  
"Was he not?"

  
"...Well...if he was, he at least had a reason to."

  
"Mm." Logan pulled into Virgil's driveway slowly. Squinting at the porch, he put the car in park. "...Should we wake him?" he asked, genuinely not sure if that would be the best solution.

  
Patton pouted as he looked back at the passed out figure. "I'd feel bad. Lemme just..." Before Logan could even ask, Patton was clambering out of the car and pulling Virgil up and out of the passenger side. Logan's cousin had always been a bit frail, a bit small, maybe even underweight at many points of his life, but seeing Patton manage to pick up the adult-aged counselor was still rather strange. "He's a lil - oof - heavier than I thought, but I got 'im." 

"I couldn't possibly expect you to-"

"I'm a strong guy! Besides, I think I owed you a favor too, didn't I?" Patton winked playfully. "You can wait in the car while i bring him in."

  
Logan paused before chuckling. "No, I can't," he argued. "You don't know where anything is in the house." He climbed out, quickly producing a key ring from his pocket. A green floral pattern was printed on the one he seemed to be singling out. "Follow me. And be careful, Patton, there's no need to strain."

  
"Shh," was Patton's only reply.

  
Logan led Patton into the small home, through the dining room and up the stairs into Virgil's room. Patton was very careful not to make too much noise as he clambered around. As soon as he had Virgil in bed, he threw a blanket over him and trotted back down the stairs. Logan followed at a slower pace. He quickly realized that Patton had wandered into other areas of the house. Perhaps he was looking for a bathroom? A snack, even? Logan could only guess, but he really wanted to get home and get some rest, so he investigated.

  
He walked down a hallway he hadn't really been through in years - it still looked so much like it did when he was young - and arrived at the guest room door. Patton was peeking inside with a certain look about him. If Logan were to guess, he'd say that he saw solemness...but also some sort of calmness. Maybe admiration? Pride? Patton tended to be very easy to read, but this was like nothing Logan had ever seen from him before.

  
This was when Logan remembered Virgil's mother. This was when he remembered being told that she was so weak that climbing the stairs took five times longer than before.

  
"Patton," Logan whispered in a scolding tone. "It's late. Let's get you home."

  
"Is this her?" Patton whispered back.

  
Logan disliked when Patton ignored what he was saying. "...Yes, that's her." He begrudgingly joined Patton at the doorway and glanced at the woman resting in the bed. Like Virgil, she appeared to be fast asleep. "She...looks a bit better than the last time I saw her in person. That's good," Logan thought aloud, though he sounded unsure.

  
Then, despite it all, Patton smiled. "Virgil looks so much like her." He grabbed Logan by the hand, seemingly without thinking. "They're both so lovely. I hope she gets better."

  
Logan felt something caught in his throat at the way Patton looked so lovingly at Virgil's mother. This adoration for someone he'd never met...it made Logan speechless. He squeezed Patton's hand and pulled him back out to the car.

  
As soon as the two were buckled back in, Patton began chatting and joking around like nothing had changed. Logan couldn't help but zone out every so often. Maybe nothing _had_ changed...but then why did Logan feel so strange about it? What was it about _this_ time Patton showed affection that was any different from his general good attitude? All he knew was that the strange feeling he'd felt was still there, along with a not unusual but still somewhat unwelcome fluttering in his chest. Logan didn't want to be driving with all these thoughts in his head, but he figured he was almost at Patton's anyway.

  
Just as he was turning into the right street, Patton simply _had_ to mention what he'd really been trying not to think about. "Man...camp's almost over, huh?"

  
Logan grit his teeth a bit at the thought. He never gave Roman an answer to the question asked hours ago. Logan never even _had_ an answer and he still didn't. What would he do if Patton left before all of Logan's feelings were settled?

  
"Yes, I...I suppose it is."

  
"...You're sad about it, huh?" Patton guessed. "We have each others' phone numbers and all so don't worry about being separated!"

  
"That's not...Well..." Logan supposed that it _did_ lift a bit of weight off his shoulders. He still didn't feel at ease, though. "May I ask you...a hypothetical question?"

  
"Of course, but aren't we pulling up to my-?"

  
Logan assured, "This is important." He pulled into the driveway by Patton's apartment building, but didn't unlock the doors just yet. "Say I had something important to tell one of the other counselors. I'm not normally afraid to be frank, but...for the purposes of this, let's say that I am." Patton nodded. The small smirk suddenly on his face made Logan a tad more nervous. "I just don't know what the future will hold. I don't know if the chance will come again. Should I muster up the courage to tell them the truth or should I just...risk waiting until I'm ready?"

  
Patton let out a thoughtful huff. He began to sink into his seat a bit while looking up at the ceiling of the car. He seemed a bit knowing, though of what, Logan wasn't sure. "I don't think it'd hurt to say something before camp ends," Patton finally said. "Life's too short to bottle stuff up, y'know? And I dunno about you, but it seems a lot more logical to take the risk of them not liking what you want to say rather than the risk of never knowing what they'd think. Does that help any?"

  
Logan nodded. "I believe so. Thank you, Patton. I'm very grateful for the ...hypothetical help."

  
"And might I add," Patton added as he began opening his door. He leaned back in with a conspiratorial smile. "I don't think there's any reason for them to not accept your statement. That's all I'll say."

  
"...What?"

  
"Goodnight, Lo!" Patton hopped out of the car and closed the door. Logan watched dumbfounded as Patton waved gleefully at him while jogging to the door. He soon was inside his apartment and Logan was left sitting in the parking lot, wondering what in the world just happened.

  
As Logan pulled away, he realized his phone's radio was notifying him of a call on his cell phone. Virgil's contact picture popped onscreen, signifying that it was his home phone. Logan tapped the answer key.

  
"Hello?" he said.

  
To his surprise, a female voice was on the other line. It croaked, "Thank you for bringing him home. I was afraid...It was getting late and all."

  
Logan paused in confusion before fondness melted his tense expression. "Of course. I'm happy to help," he replied.

  
The other line was silent. Logan wasn't too surprised when it simply cut off - he assumed she simply didn't have more to say. Virgil's mother had always been a woman of few words, especially after being sick in bed for so long. He was happy to hear her speak again. That happiness followed him home, where he would spend the night pondering his options, trying to decide the best course of action for tomorrow morning.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, sorry for the long wait! I really just could not write until, like, winter break. I tried my hardest to make this part well worth the trouble! I'm kinda nervous about it honestly :S
> 
> If you guys ever wanna chat about this fic or anything else Sanders Sides related, feel free to hmu on Twitter or Insta! You can get to them from the link in my bio. 
> 
> Finally, my good pal "charmikarma" here on AO3 has started posting her kpop fanfics! Idk if any of y'all would be interested but she's very good and I'd love if you searched her out ^_^
> 
> With all that out of the way, thanks again for reading! Kudos are appreciated and if you comment, I'll owe you my life


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